News

By Jane Smith

    The Arts Garage continues to have angels who want to see the performing arts venue succeed.
    Its lease, already extended six months, received another two-month extension in early September from Delray Beach city commissioners. They agreed to the deal, which requires a monthly rent of $866.67 and ends Nov. 16.
    The Arts Garage occupies 10,289 square feet on the first floor of the Old School Square Parking Garage, also owned by the city. The two parties are working on a long-term lease.
    The same evening, its co-executive directors appeared before the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency board. At the meeting, the Arts Garage received $100,366 to cover its deficit after submitting an amended budget in August.
    “We all know the history, they are trying hard and we need to cover the deficit,” CRA board member Paul Zacks said. “We should go along with the staff recommendation.”
    The organization split from its Pompano Beach operation earlier this year, a move the CRA board required as a condition of receiving agency money. The Arts Garage received half of its allocation, or $137,500, in April. The CRA board wanted to make sure its money — taxpayer dollars — was not going to support operations outside of Delray Beach.
    Founder and President Alyona Ushe left the Arts Garage in April to concentrate on arts venues in Pompano Beach, including its amphitheater and a soon-to-open cultural center.
 “My career path, however, has always been focused on launching new venues,” Ushe announced at the time. “I am just thrilled to now be able to put all of my energies and creativity on Pompano Beach.”
    Two staff members — Dan Schwartz, finance director, and Keith Garsson, operations director — replaced Ushe.
In June, they asked the CRA for $275,000 for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.
    This time, the CRA board agreed to release $170,000 with conditions that require the Arts Garage to streamline its expenses within six months in order to receive the remaining $105,000.
    CRA board members also want to see the Arts Garage become more of a creative collaborative, an umbrella organization, for the arts, which was its original purpose.
    The Arts Garage is reaching out to the West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition and the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum to offer jazz and blues programs as part of the venue’s programming and classes.
    “We are still trying to diversify the audience,” Garsson said.
    Despite the turmoil, the Arts Garage was able to sell $738,867 in tickets, which covered 64 percent of the program expenses through Aug. 31.
    As in the past, the CRA has a selection committee rate requests from seven Delray Beach nonprofits before recommending whether the organizations will receive the agency’s money. Each nonprofit request is rated on five criteria, including need for the program.
    For the current budget year, the committee consisted of Jeff Costello, CRA executive director; Lori Hayward, CRA finance and operations director; Francine Ramaglia, assistant city manager, and Ferline Mesidort, neighborhood services administrator for the city.
    The committee rated the Arts Garage very low, 60 percent, for its two types of offerings: arts programs and classes.  
    “I hope you look at this and see that you were rated very low,” said Cathy Balestriere, CRA board member. “There are still internal problems you have to resolve.”